AMCHAM hosted Shakilla Shahjihan, Divisional Vice President, Government Affairs, Asia Pacific & Japan at Abbott Laboratories for another session of GATE 40.
The session started with a brief introduction by Shakilla regarding the government affairs work that she handles at Abbott. Through the session, she gave the participants tips in keeping abreast of current affairs, reading recommendations, managing complex stakeholder relationships and the importance of collective voices.
AMCHAM held its monthly Members’ Briefing virtually today, part of the Chamber’s monthly meetings held on the first of Wednesday of the month. With lockdown restrictions lifted, the next briefing on December 1, the last for this month, will most likely allow for physical attendance at a limited capacity.
During the meeting, AMCHAM CEO Siobhan Das updated members on the Chamber’s recent initiatives, as well as what’s coming up. We would like to invite members to participate in the 2020/2021 Economic Impact Survey that is still open as the findings from the survey will be presented to the Ministers we engage with and could help shape policies to come. To find out how to participate, please email [email protected].
Andrew Johnson, Deputy Economic Counsellor, U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur, provided updates from the U.S. side. H.E. Brian McFeeters, U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia will be engaging more with American businesses in the northern region of Malaysia. The event we are all looking forward to this year is the Thanksgiving Luncheon & MY AMCHAM CARES recognition ceremony, the first fully in-person event of AMCHAM in 2021.
Be on the lookout for more updates as we look forward to bringing you exciting activities to come.
Entry and Exit Requirements
As of November 1, 2021, Malaysian Immigration announced that many categories of long-term pass holders, including students, Malaysia My Second Home passholders, some employment pass holders, and permanent residents, are no longer required to apply through My Travel Pass for permission to enter Malaysia (please see the Malaysian Immigration Department’s announcement for a full list of exempted categories). However, short-term passholders and holders of expired long-term passes continue to require My Travel Pass
General COVID-19 Information
For more information regarding COVID-19 in Malaysia, please review the following resources:
- Malaysian Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 Portal for statistics and resources for COVID patients
- Malaysian National Recovery Plan (NRP) website for information on COVID-19 restrictions and SOPs for each state
- Malaysian National Vaccine Program website for information on COVID-19 vaccines in Malaysia
- U.S. Embassy webpage on COVID-19 in Malaysia for general information for U.S. citizens in Malaysia
Travelers should also routinely review the Department of State’s Travel Advisory for Malaysia and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Travel Health Notice for Malaysia.
Actions to Take:
- Have a travel plan that does not rely on the U.S. Government for assistance.
- Review and follow the CDC’s guidelines for the prevention of COVID-19.
- Check with your airline or travel operator regarding any updated information about your travel plans and/or restrictions.
- Visit travel.state.gov to view individual Travel Advisories for the most urgent threats to safety and security. Review what the State Department can and cannot do for you during an international crisis.
- Visit our Embassy webpages on COVID-19 for information on conditions in each country or jurisdiction.
- Visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website on the latest travel restrictions to the United States
- Visit keeping workplaces, homes, schools, or commercial establishments safe.
EY has released its latest tax alert, issue No. 22/2021. This issue covers:
Malaysian developments
- Further deduction for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) screening costs borne by employers
- Further extension of time for submission of tax returns under the Labuan Business Activity Tax Act 1990 (LBATA) for YA 2021
Overseas developments
- Thailand publishes mandatory requirements for Thai transfer pricing documentation
- Italy issues draft legislation for new patent box regime
Sime Darby Bhd aims to be a leading player to support Malaysia’s aspiration to push towards low carbon mobility by offering a wide array of products and services and capabilities across the company’s automotive value chain. Group Chief Executive Officer Datuk Jeffri Salim Davidson said the conglomerate’s focus on electric vehicles (EV) aligns with its commitment to delivering sustainable futures.
The recent judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in C-311/18 (Schrems II) restates the far-reaching impact of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) not only in the European Union, but also to the rest of the world. The key takeaway from Schrems II is that the protection of personal data under GDPR must travel with the data anywhere it goes in the world.
